Lachesis mutus

Main idea is overstimulation, which is constantly seeking an outlet for relief, like a pot that is boiling
all the time; needs an outlet or will break down. Snake poison; initially the poison goes through the
bloodstream, stimulates first, and then on the more specific areas. Primary target is circulation (from
study of Materia Medicas you must get the preference of remedies for certain systems). People with
idiopathic high blood pressure. Flushes of heat in different ages. Haemorrhages, particularly where
the colour is quite dark. Headaches, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, and all kinds of heart ailments.
Appearances of ulcers and eruptions - a pink appearance, cyanotic, purplish. Sensation of circulation.
Sleep is difficult. Rhythm in the circulation or in the morning. Sleep-morning, these are aggravating
times for Lachesis. Worse by heat, if suddenly heated up, which changes the circulation. Worse after
entering shower or a very hot room. Worse before menses - as soon as menses starts there is a general
amelioration of the patient. Often feel a choking sensation in the throat. Wake up in a panic as if the
breath has stopped. Lachesis leads all remedies in the symptom, "wake up in a panic", worse by a
suppression of discharges. Outlet can even be restricted by the clothes, especially around the neck,
also chest and waist. psychological restrictions on the patient will have the same kind of intolerance.
If asked to do something immediately by his wife, he will feel the pressure. Intelligent. Easy flow of
ideas. Pathology can reach to schizophrenia, talks and talks, changes ideas. May quit first job because
he feels restricted. Overstimulation on the sexual sphere. Excesses on the sexual plane. Can produce a
lascivious person. Obscenity, lewdness, can exhibit these. One of the main remedies for masturbation
(he overstimulation leads to this), like Staphysagria and Platina. Origeion - masturbation in young
girls.
Snake remedies affect mostly the heart and the circulation. Some will suppress the sex impulses, will
suffer from the suppression.
One case, Lachesis was given because of sex suppression - can be typical of Lachesis. Left-sided
kidney colic. Alcoholism - circulation can be out of balance; Lachesis is useful here. May produce a
normalisation in the craving for alcohol. Lachesis even helps in delirium tremens. Also considered in
cases where narcotics are taken.
Worse lying on the left side, aggravates all ailments. May have palpitations, dyspnoea, feeling of
fainting. Lachesis prefers the left side with centralisation around the heart - left to right. Inter-costal
neuralgia - left side - Spigelia, Nat. mur., Bryonia. Acute conditions - left sidedness. Congestion of
the head; kind of bluish appearance. Sensitive to touch on skin or any constriction of the skin; least
touch is painful, but deep is not so bad, (Belladonna congestions are more red than purplish, and more
right - sided).
Sometimes amelioration comes by hard pressure (Bell. also has this).
Emotions are quite strong; quite attached to people and objects. The attachment is strong, so we get
pathological conditions of jealousy. Can degenerate into jealousy or into lasciviousness (over-
indulgence in sex). One of the great self-centred individuals (read Kent's description of this self-
centredness). A false idea of loving oneself - the other person that is connected becomes an object. If
fears that he may love this object of pleasure, then you get this jealousy. Suspicion; imagining, during
the jealous phase. One of the main remedies for people who are very suspicious. If jealousy
progresses to suspicion, then may progress even further to paranoia. they may think that their family
is scheming to put them into an insane asylum. Can go into deep states of anxiety and depression,
worrying about their health, especially the heart. PARANOIA - Hyos, Kali brom. Tarent, Stram, Plat,
Ver, Alb. Anxiety about heart diseases - Lachesis is one of the main remedies. Clairvoyant beings,
have intuitions. Depression worse in morning, may feel quite moved, in afternoon it is quite OK. Left
untreated, may go into continuous depression. Fear of insanity, at a certain stage (also Manc, Cann,
Ind, Calc. carb.)
May eventually go into insanity. Crisis is worse just before the menses. Impulsive, sporadic type
insanity. It occurs in fits. loquaciousness; talkativeness when there is a suppression of sex. Replacing
what is missing in contact and communication with talking and talking. One of the main remedies for
religious affections. (If you suppress, you must have an outlet). Talking, jumping from one subject to
another; such a flow of ideas passing through the mind, can't pass fast enough through the mouth.
Very critical; they can't tolerate the least criticism toward themselves.
Lachesis has another state - has great ideas; frustrated in earlier years; Will not follow through on this
ambition to do great things. All this driving inwards leads to development of kidney stones and heart
lesions. This Lachesis is introverted, sensitive, does not want to hurt anybody, will never let out their
emotions. You get these people who will not talk. Must understand that this type of silent person is
also a Lachesis.
Wine will aggravate his case. Good speaker, but a bed conversationalist. When they have reached a
certain mental state, a delusion appears; they will feel the dead people (their presence) talk to them.
They will give orders to do things. Also, another remedy lie this is Anacardium. Feels someone is
talking to him, but Anacardium gets double feeling, one tells him to do good, and the other to do bad.
The Lachesis desires and aversions - likes oysters very much, desires farinaceous foods (cereals,
grains, macaroni, potato, pasta).

Ignatia amara
Ignatia is frequently indicated today, because of the the women's liberation movement. Prescribed 10
to 15 times more for women than men. This woman wants to liberate, assert herself. Sensitivity
coupled with romanticism. Ability, quick, clever, artistic, women of today. Receptive, but deep down
a kind of romanticism. that romanticism will eventually come into conflict with reality. Tries to assert
herself, so that she would be equal to man. Sensitivity, romanticism, ability, frustration on any level in
the world. She is imposing upon herself the logical conclusions, she will say I must do this, do that :
she is capable of performing it. She can do things, so takes a lot of things upon herself, overworking
taking on many more things than she could normally do. Becomes proud of herself, in the way she
can handle situations. Irritability, changing of moods, sharp, fast, yet sensitive, deep down romantic.
Overstrained, grief, vexation, a frustration in her job, and then there is a breakdown. In a breakdown,
she will go into spasms, hysterical, unable to think or talk; pale, breathing deeply, a kind of hysterical
collapse; like fainting. Will not respond to someone talking to her. At the moment of this shock, she is
unable to cry. Later, she will go inside, lock the door and cry. A sobbing crying goes almost into
spasms. Conflict of romantic ideas with reality. Always has inside ideas that do not correspond to
what theliberation movement requires. She goes through the shock, then she says, "What a silly thing
I did", she keep son brooding. Will keep it to herself and not talk (Nat. mur. Phos. ac.). Silent grief.
Will talk insanely, illogically, at the time of the grief. At that moment, she will not react to logical
reasoning. Crowding of thoughts within. Trying to understand what is happening to her. If the shock
passes, mostly the body is affected by cramping pains, neuralgias that have no pathological origin, but
started from the time of grief and stress.
Physical problems may come on after feeling better on the the emotional plane. They develop, in
appearance, they lose their femininity. There is something hard about them. There is a slight hair
growing on the face. After the shock she becomes hard, and indifferent to being liked by men any
more - something cold and hard about her. You must go slowly with them, because they get irritable
and insult you. If you ask about emotional things, the patient may start to cry - she tries immediately
to compose herself. She will be withdrawn immediately, reserved. If she can't control, it comes out as
a hysterical crying, when she regains control she will appear as if nothing has happened. Feels crying
is the worst thing to do. will go somewhere to cry alone. Hysterical sobbing and crying. Similar in
reserved, introverted respects to Nat. mur. who will overcome her shocks easier. Ignatia will defend
herself more from contact. Sudden shock that produces a state when they remain speechless, no way
to talk out or cry. This is seen when there is a death in the family, or the severance of a relationship.
Ignatia is not an emotionally stable person. Changing of moods very frequently. Can sacrifice herself
for her parents. She flies into anger on contrary opinion of them. (When death occurs, she remains
speechless because of the guilt). Gets hurt easily in a relationship. As a result, she gets nasty, then
gentle, then nasty, so the man gets tired of her. She then becomes overwhelmed by emotion, if an
unpredictable element is in her nature; changeableness. In her grief, she will say unjust things, accuse
unjustly, because she is under stress.
Physically an emptiness in the stomach, not better by eating. More of a cramp of the solar nerve than
the stomach. Affects the vagus nerve on breathing. She wants to breathe deeply; sighing. Either the
stomach cramps or the sighing. She wants to eat, but the pain is not relieved. Prefers to be inside and
in a dark room. Good food feels heavy in her stomach. Heavy foods have the opposite effect, are
better tolerated, worse by fruits; they make her feel heavy. (Aversion to fruits with aversion to eggs -
think of Phos.). Cramp can go from peripheral nervous system to deeper and deeper levels.
Obstruction of the electrical flow of the nervous system. Children develop chorea-like symptoms,
because of the remarks of their school teachers. (That is enough to bring on chorea in an Ignatia
patient). Not a natural hysteria. (Hysteria - punishment of self and others, once the desire and the
ability to reach out are frustrated. Moschas, Valerian, Lil. tig.) Ignatia is not such a deep pathology.
Cramps; pains or numbness from one point downwards. Cough has element of hysteria, seems to
excite more coughing. So strong that she does not have time to breathe in. Does not have time to drink
anything. Sudden momentary paralysis of parts. Inflamed parts, red, swollen, not sensitive to pressure.
Better swallowing solids; worse when empty, or liquids.
Symptoms start after severance of love affair or death. Hurt very easily, becomes withdrawn and
sulks; at this point cannot tolerate any contradiction of those closest to her. When in a love affair, she
will suppress, until one day it will come out in hysterical reaction, she will accuse the man of
coldness, of not showing enough attention, Sensitive women in our society, forced to be aggressive.
She will suffer from the liberation movement. Eventually withdraws inside, sulks, over-protection of
herself, becomes critical. Once alone, overwhelmed with a sense of loneliness. Grief. She will want to
go back to the relationship. (Many times you will get the same remedy with couples). (Causticum and
Phosphorous inimical). Great sensitivity inside, really a perfectionist. Does not accept the reality; how
could he leave? Constantly dissatisfied with their emotional life. Out of their grief comes the attitude
life is not worth living. She will be thinking of committing suicide, but she will not do it, she is too
logical (but will think about it a lot).
If the mental level is affected, during the shock, she may develop a type of delirium. Torticollis, if
things go into the physical with great force; Chorea, cramping unexpected reactions, to external or
internal stimuli. Always expect these unexpected reactions from the Ignatia patient. Unexpected in the
emotions; you are nice to her and she turns out to be nasty. Unexpected in the mental plane. Always
an unpredictable manner in which she reacts. Can develop a hardness, criticalness, indifference to sex,
not an aversion. Homosexuality - (Sepia, Pulsatilla, Platina, Medorrhinum).

Platinum metallicum
Platina is a remedy which exemplifies the process of perversion of an conflict between normal
functions which can occur in a particular type of individual. The Platina patient, on the one hand, is
driven by a powerful, excessive sexual desire; on the other hand, she is strongly idealistic and
romantic in her amorous relationships. The tension, and eventual conflict, between these two aspects
of her nature, the repeated disappointments, inevitable for a person of such intensity and sensitivity,
leads to the pathology which is the essence of this remedy.
As a general rule, Platina most readily affects a particular personality type. Physically, this person
tends to be lean, of dark hair, eyes, and complexion. The face is usually round, with full sensual lips.
It most readily affects women of a sensitive nature, at once sensual and idealistic. In children, the
Platina type may display the traits of pride and integrity.
The Platina pathology shows itself on two levels, primarily the sexual and the mental. From a young
age, the Platina woman feels a strong sexual desire, which can be distractingly intense. Throughout
life, and beginning at a young age, there may be great hyperaesthesia of the genitals, leading to
masturbation. (Origanum is another remedy which displays masturbation in young girls, but it tends to
occur more in childhood between the ages of 3 an 7 years, rather than at puberty). The Platina woman
is likely to become involved sexually at a young age, and emotionally she will throw herself
wholeheartedly into a sexual relationship, with great romanticism and idealism. To compare it with
other remedies, we find that Natrum mur, Sepia, Causticum and Calc. carb. develop sexual
relationships generally later in life. On the other hand, sexuality occur at a quite young age in Nux
vomica, Lachesis, Coffea cruda, Platina and Staphisagria. (The Staphysagria patient is too sensitive
emotionally to face a sexual relationship, however, and therefore develops a highly active fantasy life,
with early masturbation).
The Platina patient wants the relationship to be as fulfilling emotion? she desires it to be sexually;
unfortunately, her desire? are so extremely intense that it is virtually impossible for any man to satisfy
them. She then becomes disappointed, and begins a process of going from one relationship to another
trying to fulfil her desires, and experiencing repeated disappointments
In the Repertory, Platina is listed in italics under Ailments from Grief, but should probably be
elevated to bold type, because the repeated griefs and disappointments in the love/sexual sphere lead
to the fundamental Pathology of Platina. The Platina woman gives herself totally, and therefore
experiences disappointments. As a consequence, on the mental plane, she ponders the issues of
sexuality and love in the world, puzzling over the intensity of her needs. She is constantly seeking a
way to balance her needs on both levels, but realistically, the world is unable to satisfy such excessive
needs. She may then try to suppress the powerful sexual instinct into the mental plane, resulting in
heightened idealistic, romanticized feelings. There occur a schism between the intense sexual desires
and her highly idealistic beliefs. After many repeated emotional shocks and disappointments, there
gradually evolves the process of PERVERSION of normal functions on these two levels.
On the mental/emotional level, one might expect such repeated griefs to lead to a bitter, vengeful,
walled-off individual. In Platina, however, the particular perversion which occurs is a sense of
exaggerated ego importance, of superiority, of haughtiness, of contempt for the world. The Platina
patient feels she is more emotionally capable of love, that she has given herself more completely than
other people. She feels that she is a unique individual, misunderstood by others with lesser capacities
for love, not made for this world.
To summarise the process thus far, the Platina patient is driven at the outset by an exaggerated sexual
desire and sensitive idealism, cannot be satisfied in the real world, experiences disappointments,
becomes tormented for along time by unsuccessful suppression into idealism, and eventually develops
an exaggerated ego-sense and haughtiness.
In taking the case, the questioner may not be struck immediately by the haughty quality of the Platina
patient. it will usually be difficult to recognise; one must read between the lines; In such a sensitive
person, the suppression of sensuality into the mental sphere may result in a high degree of
intellectualisation, or even spirituality. She may express her disappointments in the world, that there is
not enough love and consideration in society. She may refuse to have children because it would be
cruel to bring them into such a world (Ignatia, Natrum mur. and Staphysagria may also display such
attitudes). The inner haughtiness may show as a contempt for the world, she may refuse to participate
in mundane conversations in company because of this attitude. At this stage of ego exaggeration, if
recognised by the homoeopath, a dose of Platina will act quickly and easily, since the pathology has
not yet advanced to a very extreme degree; treatment at later stages will also be successful, but may
be longer and more arduous.
It is at this stage that the Platina patient may experience physical sensations or delusions which
symbolise her internal conflict. Most characteristically, she feels as if parts of her body have enlarged
in size, or that people and objects in the world have shrunk in size. Here is one vivid case example. A
woman initially given Phosphorus, on a later visit finally revealed some peculiar symptoms; she
would waken at night feeling as if she were in strange place, surrounded by strange furniture; the
furniture seemed to float away, and people appeared small to her. In her own words, it was as if she
were on a high hill looking at people far below her. Other remedies also have similar distortion;
Sabadilla has the delusion that body parts are distorted, and Cannabis indica frequently has the
delusion that the surroundings are distorted. In Platina, the delusion that parts of the body are enlarged
may manifest instead as a feeling like bandage constricting the part, or there may be numbness of a
part, particularly numbness around the lips, the area of the face most symbolic of sensuality. Also
there may be a fear that the face is distorted, (and indeed, Platina is one of the remedies that can cure
Bell's palsy).
Despite and haughtiness and contempt for the world which she experiences during the mental phase of
her pathology, the Platina patient is at the same time driven by her powerful, earthy sexual desire. She
is not really able to suppress it. So she will continue to be with men, but she may simultaneously
maintain a feeling of contempt for them. Eventually, she may separate sex from romantic love,
becoming interested in sex for the sake of sensation only. Nymphomania then becomes so intense that
it cannot be satisfied, she will become increasingly involved in a variety of sexual perversions.
During the first stage of Platina pathology, the patient may alternate between the emotionally haughty
state and intensely sexual state. While she is dominated more by her contemptuous, haughty
behaviour, she will continue to be puzzled and intellectually preoccupied by the intensity of the earthy
side of her nature. She may brood over this for a while, until the sensuality takes over and dominates
her behaviour, resulting in nymphomania.
Alternations are common in Platina. As already mentioned, there may be an alternation between
mental and sexual spheres. Mental symptoms and physical symptoms may also alternate; for example,
the physical symptoms will disappear when the sensation of exaggerated size of a part of the body is
present. As the delusion disappears, the physical symptoms return. Numbness of the face may
alternate with fear of facial distortion.
In the second stage of development of Platina pathology, we see a given patient progressing in one of
two directions of pathology. The direction of illness depends mostly upon the upbringing and
background of the person. If she is in a culture in which her sensuality has been allowed free
expression, her sexual nature will become more and more out of control. Perversions and
nymphomania become increasingly manifest.
If she has actively controlled and repressed her desires, the previous mental defence represented by
the inner contempt for the world becomes no longer successful. She may become snappish, sulky,
sharp-tongued. There may be prolonged periods of brooding and depression. I, desperation over the
world's inability to satisfy her, she may even become suicidal, although she is unlikely to commit
suicide. As the pathology progresses further, even depression no longer suffices, and she may
experience a further perversion of her affection. She may feel a powerful desire to kill those closest to
her, such as her husband and child (as is also found in Nux vomica, Mercury and eve Arsenicum). In
particular, this desire in Platina is stimulated by the presence or sight of a knife. This is a controlled
desire to kill; Platina will rarely act on it. Such a desire, if purely unconscious, may manifest as an
irrational fear that a fatal accident will befall her husband; she believes day in and day out that her
husband will be killed, and she stays awake late into the night awaiting his return home.
In the third stage of Platina pathology, a true insanity develops, depending on which direction the
pathology has taken. On the one hand, the haughtiness becomes exaggerated into an insane delusion
of grandeur. Whereas previously she has kept such feelings largely to herself, in the insane stage it
becomes overt. She believes she is royalty, that others are beneath her, that she is great and powerful
and deserving of respect and deference. Unlike Veratrum album, who believes himself to be Jesus
Christ or John the Baptist; an actual confusion of identity, and a sense of being given an important
mission in life - the Platina delusion is an exaggerated sense of personal ego status.
The other form of Platina insanity manifests as an aggressive erotic mania. This is not merely the
shamelessness or passive exposure of the genital which we see in Hyoscyamus. It is practically
indistinguishable from the erotic mania of Tarentula - an active, aggressive state, in which she will
approach even strangers with an overt sexual proposition. The above-described essence of Platina is
particularly evident in the physical symptoms. As mentioned there is the feeling of exaggerated size
of parts of the body or of the entire body. This is also represented symbolically in the characteristic
Platina sensation as if a part is bound by a band age (characteristic in an even stronger degree in
Anacardium). There may be numbness (particularly around the lips), coldness, and cramping of
muscles. There is a great hyperaesthesia of the genitals, becoming most painful to the touch, even to
the point of preventing coition or speculum examination by the physician. Such hyperaesthesia seems
to be caused by excessive congestion of the genitals and pelvic organs. Platina has even cured a
pregnant woman who developed voluptuous spasms of the uterus, with orgasms which occurred so
frequently and intensely that the spasms threatened spontaneous abortion.
To summarize then, the essence of Platina is a schism and perversion of the mental and sexual
spheres, in a proud, sensitive woman, who has suffered repeated emotional disappointments, leading
progressively to delusions of grandeur, or aggressive erotic mania.
Ignatia
 Ignatia is frequently required and is especially suited to sensitive, delicate women and
children; to hysterical women. You will not cure the natural hysterics with Ignatia, but you will cure
those gentle, sensitive, fine fibred, refined, highly educated, overwrought women in their nervous
complaints with Ignatia when they take on complaints that are similar to such symptoms as come in
hysteria.
Hysterical diathesis: The hysterical diathesis is one that is very singular and difficult to
comprehend.
But a woman, when overwrought and overexcited and emotional, will do things that she
herself cannot account for. She will do things as if she were crazy in her excitement. Will do things
she regrets, while the hysteric is always glad of it. No matter how much foolishness there is in it she
has only made an exhibition that she is proud of. But our efforts go out for those who imitate them
unconsciously. Those who will to do well.
A woman has undergone a controversy at home. She has been disturbed, is excited, and goes
into cramps, trembles and quivers. Goes to bed with a headache. Is sick. Ignatia will be her remedy.
When she has great distress; unrequited affections. A sensitive, nervous young girl finds out that she
has misplaced her affections; the young man has disappointed her; she has a weeping spell, headache,
trembles, is nervous, sleepless; Ignatia will make her philosophical and sensible.
A woman loses her child, or her husband. A sensitive, delicate woman, and she suffers from
this grief. She has headaches, trembles, is excited, weeps, is sleepless; unable to control herself. In
spite of her best endeavours, her grief has simply torn her to pieces. She is unable to control her
emotions and her excitement.
Ignatia will quiet her and tide her over the present moment. In all of these instances where all
of these conditions brought on from such troubles keep coming back, where your patient dwells upon
them, dwells upon the cause, and the state keeps recurring, Natrum mur. will finish up the case.
It will nerve her up and help her to bear her sufferings. Especially useful in constitutions that
have been over wrought at school, in science, music, art. Of course, it is natural for very sensitive girls
to go into the arts, such as music, painting, etc.
A daughter comes back from Paris after a number of years close application to her music. She
is unable to do anything. She flies all to pieces. Every noise disturbs her. She cannot sleep nights.
Excitable, sleepless, trembles, jerks, cramps in the muscles; weeps from excitement, and from every
disturbing word. Ignatia will tone her up wonderfully.
Sometimes it will complete the whole case. But especially in these oversensitive girls is
Natrum mur. very commonly the chronic. It is the natural chronic of Ignatia. When the troubles keep
coming back, and Ignatia comes to a place when it will not hold any longer.
Another place where Ignatia and Natrum mur.run close together. A sensitive, overtired girl,
after she has been working in music, and in art, and in school, and has tired herself out, is unable to
control her affections. Her affections rest on some one whom she would despise. That may be a
singular thing, one may not be able to understand it.
A sensitive girl, though she would not let anyone but her mother know of it, falls in love with
a married man. She lies awake nights, sobs. She says,

"Mother, why do I do that, I cannot keep that man out of my mind."

At other times a man entirely out of her station, that she is too sensible to have anything to do with,
she just thinks about him. Ignatia, if it is very recent, will balance up that girl's, mind. If not, Natrum
mur. comes in as a follower. We do not know half as much about the human mind as we think we do.
We only know its manifestations.